“I can even run now, where as before, just walking was a challenge. The doctors at Kaiser were very kind. They always communicated with me and checked in to make sure I was okay throughout the whole process.”

Gustavo, a 49-year-old father of two, moved to Yolo County from Sonora, Mexico, in 2004 to provide his daughters a better economic future with more educational opportunities. He found work in landscape management at a winery.

In 2019, Gustavo jumped down from the top of his kids’ bunk bed and injured his groin. A bulge appeared in the area, and he experienced some pain that quickly subsided. However, in 2021, the pain in the bulge near his groin returned, and regular movement became difficult. He struggled to bend down, walk, and engage in the physical aspects of his work and home life without experiencing debilitating pain.

Gustavo visited his primary care physician (PCP) at Winters Healthcare Foundation. His PCP diagnosed a left inguinal hernia and recommended surgery to repair it. Uninsured and unable to afford the out-of-pocket cost for surgery, Gustavo was referred to our program and was eligible.

During Gustavo’s initial consult through our program, Dr. Michael Van Noord, a general surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center, determined that surgery was too risky due to his hypertension and asthma. Gustavo first needed to get these conditions under control. Two years passed before Gustavo could get his hypertension and asthma under control. Gustavo had a hard time managing his health during the COVID-19 pandemic due to stress and other factors.

Finally, in 2023, Gustavo was healthy enough for surgery. His clinic referred him to our program again and we reconnected him with Dr. Van Noord, who successfully repaired the inguinal hernia.

Now fully recovered, Gustavo is grateful to Kaiser Permanente and Operation Access for helping him get the care he needed. He said, “I can even run now, where as before, just walking was a challenge. The doctors at Kaiser were very kind. They always communicated with me and checked in to make sure I was okay throughout the whole process.”

Story and photograph shared with patient’s permission. Patient’s name was changed.